Reflective Journal 5

Reflective Journal 5: Reflect on SES. You may want to consider the curriculum, the learning process, the assessment, difficulties you faced, how you overcame them, and how might SES be applicable in time to come.

SES was undoubtedly one of the toughest subjects I have ever taken. Although my grades for SES was relatively okay, compared to the other subjects that I failed, I still think it is extremely challenging as a subject itself. At the end of the term, I must say, I have learnt a lot and benefitted an awful lot from this subject.

Firstly, I think that the curriculum is quite good, in terms of its applicability and usefulness to my future. As China is expected to overtake America as the economic powerhouse in the near future, the contents of this module is pretty relevant and useful because it provides us with many opportunities to learn about China with regards to its economy, corporate culture, family culture, education, political system etc. I believe all this information is going to be quite applicable to me in helping me succeed due to the need and requirement to know essential facts about China when I enter the workforce. However, I think there is still some room for improvement. For instance, I think that the module should go a little slower so as to let the students adapt to the system of this new subject. Furthermore, the transition from Secondary 2 life to Secondary 3 life is pretty drastic hence I think we should be given more time to digest the knowledge taught during the first few lessons.

Moving on, I would say the assessment style is unique and special. Never once have I experience assessment such as reflective journals, in class participation and term papers. This is my first time having to face the pressure and the mindset that I am graded for every lesson and to write a 1000 word term paper. It is a good learning experience as I learnt how to write proper term papers and reference properly. Although I would prefer tests and exams compared to this, I think that SES should continue with this mode of assessment as it trains students to be quick with their thinking and go prepared for lessons so that they can quote relevant statistics and evidences to back up their points when they share them with the class. Also, the reflective journals are effective in allowing the students really put their mind into it and reflect on the lessons as the teacher provides a scope for us to reflect on, which I think is quite necessary. Students are also required to provide constructive comments on other students’ reflective journals as some kind of peer evaluation. I personally think that this is effective in developing the students’ critical thinking skills as they have to reflect on other’s reflections and then give comments or suggestions.

To be honest, I faced quite a lot of difficulties. And most of these difficulties are due to my laziness and could be easily avoided if I had not been so lazy and procrastinate so much. In the first term, SES lessons were on Mondays and Fridays. So we usually did our work during the weekends. As weekends are the only chance for me to eat out, I ate out almost every week in the first term. I enjoyed myself so much, or rather too much, that I always leave SES till Sunday nights. On Sunday nights, I will sit in front of my laptop, racking my brains, trying to think of some points to share with the class the next day. But, I always fail to do so because I always feel very tired on Sunday nights after going out and playing basketball frequently for the weekend. As a result, I usually was unable to learn anything during SES lessons, which made me unable to cope well.

In term 2, although I think there was some improvement as I did some work for the first few lessons, there was still much room to improve on such as speaking up in class to share my ideas and thoughts. Frankly, I was quite uninterested in the lessons and could not be bothered by what is thought. Every night before SES lessons, I would just try to figure out some points just to satisfy the teacher. Now, thinking back, I was a terrible student with the wrong attitude towards learning. Till one fine day when I was messaging my friend through the phone and got caught by the teacher. The teacher confiscated my phone till the end of the lesson. I went to apologize to the teacher and the teacher said some pretty inspiring and motivating words that I actually had the thought to change my attitude towards my studies. Currently, I am trying to change for the better and for the sake of my results. I do not want to disappoint my teachers and my parents again.

In this reflective journal, I am really unable to reflect much on the curriculum as I really did not care about the whole subject. I was very ignorant towards my studies and now I kind of regretted it. To me, SES is a subject that acted as a “wake-up call” that I have to adopt a better attitude and be more enthusiastic about learning and not so much about teaching me the content of the subject.

Reflective Journal 4

Reflective Journal 4: Reflect on the societal problems faced by China and America. (Hint: you must definitely explain your responses to these societal problems. How can they be resolved? Who should be responsible for resolving these issues?)

All reflective journals must not exceed 800 words.

You must include a word-count at the end of your journal.

Please print on both sides of the paper.

Although China and America are superpowers in many aspects such as economy, military etc, they are still facing many serious societal problems today.

Today, China faces a serious problem of social unrest. This is due to the unfair treatment of the government towards the citizens which caused the citizens to be unsatisfied with their performance and thus leading to many riots and protests for better and fairer treatment. For example, just recently, there were riots at Chengdu, and industrial zone started by angry steelworkers who demanded higher wages. Also, people in China are demanding working conditions of a higher quality. I believe this is a problem that needs to be addressed as soon as possible because social unrest may cause negative impacts to the country. The citizens may not be as united as before due to all the unfair treatment by the government. For a country to be successful, it is essential for the people to be united in face of adversity. A country full of diversity will just fall and collapse when the country face problems as they can’t face those challenges as a country.

In China, the first class citizens are getting more privileges than the second class citizens. As only the government has the right to control these privileges, I think that the government should be responsible in solving this issue. Since the citizens do not really trust the government anymore, they may want to first start a campaign, for instance, to gain the trust of the people first. When the people trust the government, only then the government can start changing policies without worrying whether or not the citizens will be unreasonable as they trust the government to be fair and objective. Besides, the government must also compensate for the loss of the people they mistreated to gain some support of the citizens. The government should avoid dividing the country into first class and second class because this might affect the unity of the people as the people from the first class might look down on the people of the second class. They have to be equal to all citizens regardless of race, language, religion or social class whatsoever. Although the government plays a big part, the citizens can help by forgetting and forgiving the mistakes that the government made in the past and let the government use something in the future to compensate them because there is really no point in starting riots as it will only make matters worse and there will be more social unrest. If the government still does not change its ways, the citizens should consider voting for another party to run the country.

In comparison, America’s most serious problem seems like its education standards. In the past few years, America’s academic achievements have been falling greatly, and this is mainly due to the low quality of the teachers. Many teachers quit their jobs after working not longer than 5 years or more. This is a problem as the US government has to spend a big portion of the education budget just to hire new qualified teachers to teach the students. If there are not enough teachers in America, the inexperienced and unqualified teachers have to be hired to teach, which will then affect the academic achievements greatly. When the education standards drop, the future workforce of America will be relatively incapable and untalented. With an unskilled workforce, the economy of America will also be affected negatively.

To resolve this problem, the best way is for the government and the teachers to cooperate and work together. The government can introduce a merit pay system whereby teachers are judged by the grades of their students and paid accordingly. This will motivate the teachers to work harder and teach their students better so that their students can do well academically. This will in turn pull up the academic achievements of the nation significantly when all the teachers teach their students to the best of their ability. The teachers will also not quit their jobs so easily because they are rewarded based on their class results and that this system is very fair and the teachers can also benefit easily. The government can then spend the money which was previously used to hire new teachers every now and then on more important and useful things like learning resources, facilities, and on training the teachers through workshops, courses. Also, the government should aim to change the mindset of the general public that think of teachers as “low-class” jobs and are unwilling to work as teachers. They should promote the importance of education so let they are more willing to work as teachers as they want to contribute back to the society. This is similar to the Confucian ideology of 饮水思源 which means giving back.

In conclusion, China and America can choose many ways to solve their issues. Essentially, it is their government that can make the most significant difference to the 2 countries.

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SES Reflective Journal 3

SES Reflective Journal 3

Reflective Journal 3: We have discussed and debated on the Chinese and America perceptions of self. Reflect on the impact of these beliefs in your life.

In the 21^st century, both China and America are economic powers of the world, yet the perceptions of people in China and America on self are very different. Many countries have tried to adopt a similar pattern but have failed to get the same outcomes.

The Chinese people believe in Confucian values such as morality, unity, respect for authority, the importance of hierarchical relationships which they think can bring harmony, another emphasis to the nation and their people.

Firstly, I shall talk about morality. As I am a Malaysian, I shall discuss my experiences in both Malaysia and Singapore. I will discuss the similarities between the education in Malaysia and Singapore. There is the demerit point system both in Malaysia and Singapore. This is pretty alike to the Chinese concept of discipline to control the student population by using fear. When students are afraid to get demerit points, even if they are tempted to commit an offence, they will at least think twice before acting. As a result, most students in Malaysia and Singapore can exercise self-control when necessary. Also, respect in my family is quite strict. Once, I did something wrong and ended up kneeling down in front of my parents for 30 minutes. I had to kneel down as a form of respect and apology to my parents. The respect for authority is emphasized throughout schools and families in China and countries influenced by China values like Malaysia and Singapore. However, in Malaysia and Singapore, some students may be a little rebellious at times and be tempted to commit offence. I am also one of them. In Singapore, I got caught for wearing ankle socks to school because I did not think through my actions. This is normal for students at my age as they are going through puberty and like to challenge conventions. These ideas of respect, discipline, morality influenced my life quite a lot and I think it is good that these ideas actually exist because I believe, without these values, the discipline in my school will be a disaster. After so many experiences, I began to realize that harmony is really brought to the society through these values and ideology which influenced the perceptions of the people.

The Americans, on the other hand, emphasize more on democracy and freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly and the right to vote. These ideas are all influenced by various revolutions like the French revolution, American War Independence and the Enlightenment, and also many philosophers from different countries.

Honestly, I do not have much experience regarding to America culture. But once when my brother went on an exchange program to America and told me about his wonderful experience there. He told me that the students there were very daring to question the teacher and participate much actively compared to the students in Malaysia and Singapore. Yet the teachers do not regard their behavior as disrespectful. This shows the huge difference between the perception of respect to a Chinese and an American. Also, as punishment, the American students will have to stay back for detention. Unlike in Singapore and Malaysia, where students are sometimes, even, caned as a harsh punishment, but in America, it is very seldom that students are caned as they emphasize on human rights, in terms of education. The curriculum there is also very different from that of Singapore’s or Malaysia’s. The America curriculum develops students more broadly and holistically, where in Malaysia, the curriculum is pretty much straight forward, not requiring much critical thinking in the process. In Singapore, however, the education requires more critical thinking and understanding. For example, there is R&R in Secondary 2 in my school, which requires lots of inference skills and general knowledge; in IH, there are also source-based questions that require us to make inferences based on sources. In Malaysia, there is little or no aspect of critical thinking. It’s mostly just memorizing facts and cramming in information. The education system itself is a clear reflection of the perceptions of self. America thinks that everyone should have the right to speak and that human rights and democracy is a necessity. China thinks that respect in more important and that sometimes questioning teachers or arguing over a point maybe a little disrespectful if not said in an appropriate tone. All these are indications on what they think of themselves and what they want others to regard them as.

Both the Chinese and the American culture and beliefs have impacted my life quite a lot. From studying in Malaysia, being brought up in a Chinese family that believes in traditional Chinese ideas and now, studying in Singapore as a scholar has made me who I am. I do not fully agree with any of these ideas as all of them have their pros and cons.

Reflective Journal 2 (GRADED)

Although Google and Lenovo are both dominant companies in today's corporate world, these companies adopt a different style of management and have different working culture.

In Google, employees get to enjoy a wide range of facilities in the company. Much freedom is given to the employees by allowing 20% of their work time to be their free time, they can then use the time to develop and research on their own ideas. An advantage of this system is that when people are given the freedom, they tend to innovate and think better and more creatively, compared to limited freedom where creativity is stifled and the flow of thought is blocked. This kind of management style is much like the Western countries giving freedom to their people. Also, during meals at the common cafeteria, Googlers can actually talk and discuss with each other about work, which will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their work. In Lenovo, there is a dominant leader to lead the company. Employees seldom question their leader and just follow orders and instructions given to them. They trust their leader to make the correct decisions and judgments at the right time. They do not have much free time to develop their own projects whatsoever, but they can still work effectively on the work given. There is discipline enforced to ensure efficient working. However, I believe that unless one can discipline himself or herself, enforced discipline can never ensure everyone following the rules. In my school, there are lots of rules but some people do not even bother to follow the rules. It depends on one’s self discipline; enforced discipline will work on only certain people, never all.

Personally, I prefer the Google way of managing and the culture in the company. In Lenovo, all an employee does is follow orders and rules and instructions, one cannot have a voice of his own as it will be disrespectful to the leader. This is much like the Asian culture and tradition. Some Asians have the mindset that teachers or leaders are always right. They do not dare to question their leader or teacher. I feel that this mindset is a little too restrictive. I believe that if one adopts a respectful and humble tone, one should be allowed to give opinions or suggestions that will benefit the company. Discussions must be allowed for a company to progress. If there are no discussions and only the leader’s ideas are utilised, the brilliant minds in the company will go to a waste. The creativity of each person will be very limited and subjected to the orders of the leaders, resulting in the stifling of creativity and innovation in the company.

On the other hand, Google allows freedom in its company. They want employees to get their work done based on the passion they have towards their respective fields. They do not want to force them to do what they do not like to do. I believe that one has to have the passion and drive in order to succeed in a particular field. Westerners often know what they want in life and pursue their lifelong interests, while Asians usually take the “safe path”, jobs that will ensure a high income. Even though Google gives privileges to its employees, most employees working in Google work because they are passionate about their job, not because of fat paychecks or luxurious facilities. They work for long hours but get paid much lesser than what they can earn with those hours they work. This shows that it is the passion that motivates them to work when they can actually take advantage of the 20% free time.

A personal experience of mine is that I do not really mind doing homework of a certain subject that I like, for example, Mathematics. In primary school, I used to excel in Mathematics. But in Secondary 1, I failed in almost every subject and got a C5 in Mathematics. I decided to work harder the next year. As I practice my Mathematics, my passion for it began to grow. At the end of the year, I got the A1 I have always wanted. It was my passion that got me where I am. Another reason why I chose Google’s style is that I think freedom of expression is extremely important. In the boarding school, the director always welcomes suggestions and feedbacks as it is these things that can make the boarding school a better place to stay in. If the director is the only one providing ideas, there would be limited quality and quantity. Many brains are always better than one.

In conclusion, the Google’s way of management is much like the Western culture and Lenovo’s is much like the Asian culture. Both of the ways have advantages and disadvantages, at the end, it all narrows down to personal preferences.

Reflective Journal 1

SES

Lesson 1

After attending my first Socio-economic Studies tutorial, I believe that there are certain issues to be discussed and reflected on. For one, the assessment style is unique as it is certainly something I have not experienced before. Having not done a research based project before, a research paper and term paper is certainly something new for me. Therefore, I believe that this is an excellent opportunity for me to learn something new, which will definitely be useful in later life. I believe that being in SMTP requires students to do much research work, and being able to craft a research paper with excellent logical flow of ideas is certainly imperative in doing research. This is certainly a stepping stone for me towards the submission of a final research paper as part of the SMTP research module. Reflective journals are also important as it allows us to think back on what we have done. It is an essential part of metacognition, and it is important as it allows us to examine where we have gone wrong and what could have been done better. Besides, these reflective journals allow us to review the various issues discussed during lessons. Thus, we might be able to formulate new train of thoughts that will hone our skill our critical and logical thinking.

The topics covered in Social- economic studies covers a diverse range. However, the main aim of the course is essentially to inform and educate us in the various issues around the world. It is to raise awareness and thus allow us to understand the complexities of certain economic or political relationships between countries. Topics ranges from “The Synthesis of Confucianism and Western Ideas” to “Investigating China’s technological backwardness” give us an insight into the differences of the economic and social landscape between the east and the west. Besides, topics such as “Western technological superiority: The Industrial Revolution in Britain and its impact on the Western society” also focus on the impacts of various incidents. All in all, these topics dissect various key issues around the world, giving multiple sides of the argument to various issues. This will undoubtedly give us a more balanced view of the world, educating us to consider both sides of the argument.

I believe that the subject of Social- Economic Studies is a very useful subject as it will be very beneficial in my later life. This subject is very useful as it broadens our outlook, sharpens our intellect, and inculcates in us the habit of balanced thinking. The study of Economics makes us realize that we as human beings are dependent upon one another for our daily needs. This feeling creates in us the intelligent appreciation of our position and the spirit of co-operation with others. Besides, this subject is of great use in our jobs. As a businessman, the study of such a subject suggests us the ways of bringing about the most economical combinations of the various factors of production at his disposal. It also helps in solving the various intricacies of exchange. From the study of Economics, one can easily judge as to why the prices have risen or fallen. The knowledge of Economics also explains us as to how the reward of various factors of production is determined. Thus, we find that every’ individual can rightly hope to become a better and more efficient consumer, producer and businessman, if he has the working knowledge of economics. Last but not least, an understanding of the different social and economic backgrounds of various countries is especially useful when we are doing business with people of these countries. It is important to have an understanding so as to better relate to people of different cultural backgrounds.

After attempting the CQ assessment, I am able to reflect on my understanding on culture. CQ comprises of 4 components: CQ Drive, CQ Strategy, CQ Knowledge and CQ Action. I think basically, if one has CQ Drive, he can be able to fulfill all the other components. As my CQ Drive is quite low, I intend to gain inspiration from SES lessons if possible. I want to let SES ignite the fire for cultural intelligence within me. I hope by the end of the year, I will develop a passion about culture and be willing to take initiative to learn more about cultural differences. Also, I am pretty glad to be learning more about other cultures, how their economy is like etc, as it is important to possess the ability to adapt to other cultures when I go overseas in the future. I believe that when time comes, these knowledge that I will acquire shall prove to be useful.